Senegal

Migrants are important to development and poverty reduction in their home countries. For many countries the levels of remittances from relatives abroad exceed development and foreign direct investment. This study explores the linkages between international remittances and access to land in the home countries, with a focus on West Africa, specifically Ghana and Senegal.

As stated in the Abstract, “this dissertation demonstrates how external agency participatory programs with village committees and how multi-party competition and rivalries have undermined women's decision making and access to forest resources and land in a rural Senegalese community. Using a participatory approach based on "village committees" in Malidino Biodiversity Reserve, the World Bank and Senegal forest service have bestowed discretionary power on traditional leaders and on local elected officials.

The purpose of this report is to supplement, or “shadow,” the periodic report of the government of Senegal to the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights during its 26th session. The report has been compiled and written by the Center for Reproductive Law and Policy (CRLP) and Groupe de recherche femmes et lois au Sénégal (GREFELS).This report discusses issues of rape, domestic violence, femicide, and FGM in the context of Senegal.

The chapter of this book that addresses the situation of Senegal begins with an explication of the legal and political framework – structure of government and sources of law. It then examines reproductive health and rights, and within this section discusses the prevalence, laws and policies to prevent, and additional efforts to prevent FGM. Then it moves on to look at understanding the exercise of reproductive rights – i.e. women’s legal status – such as marriage, divorce and custody laws, as well as the right to physical integrity.

This report discusses the obligations of the Senegalese government in the protection of women and combating practices of violence against women, based on signed and ratified conventions, international law, and the laws of (as well as pointing out the shortcomings) the Constitution of Senegal. This includes issues of forced marriage, customary laws that inhibit divorced women from keeping their homes, the right to education and employment, reproductive/sexual rights, and high instances of domestic violence, marital rape, and FGM.

This study shows the magnitude of violence against women in regions of Senegal and, above all, its general acceptance in public opinion. Beating one’s wife, one’s child, or anyone with whom one has petty or serious disputes is considered “normal.” The report recommend programs aimed at sensitising the general public, particularly women, young people, and government officials.

The objective of this study is to analyse the tensions between conceptualizations about Islam, women's sexual health and rights in Senegal. Sexual rights are defined here as the right to choose a partner, the right to enjoy sex without fear of violence or disease, and the right to physical integrity. These rights are examined through legal, Islamic and International frameworks in the context of their relevance to Senegal. The general population's, and Ulamas', positions, attitudes and behaviours about these rights were collected through interviews and focus group discussions.

This book is a report on the prevalence of female circumcision and female genital mutilation (FC/FGM) and on the use of law and policy to address these practices. This work places FC/FGM firmly within a human rights and legal framework, although it does recognise and address the challenges inherent to this discourse. The authors look at the history of FC/FGM; its consequences for women’s health; the reasons used to justify it – i.e. culture, control over women’s sexuality, tradition, interpretation of religious directives; and the history of movement’s working to combat it.